Literature display and dispensing rack



April 11, 1967 D. s. HOWELL 33%,513

LITERATURE DISPLAY AND DISPENSING RACK Filed Jan. 4, 1966 INVENTOR 6 60 DAVID s. HOWELL 4 BY fi'r ATTORN EYS United States Patent C 3,313,513 LITERATURE DISPLAY AND DISPENSING RACK David S. Howell, Troy, Mich, assignor to Arlington Alriminum Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Jan. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 518,681

7 Claims. (Cl. 248-441) This invention relates to display racks and in particular to literature display and dispensing racks.

The objects of this invention include the provision of a literature rack including a literature container which displays literature such as pamphlets, booklets and leaflets in such attractive and convenient positions as to induce passersby to examine and take the literature; which has literature holders which are easily arranged in different positions so as to vary the display from time to time in order to enhance attention-getting; which is of simple yet rugged construction adapted to be manufactured at low cost and consequently supplied to the public at a low price; and which employs a border structure preferably constructed from a single elongated extruded strip which is notched out at the intended corner locations and bent at these notched locations to provide an open-centered border frame with the opposite ends abutting one another; and which includes a plate extending upward from the border frame structure and adapted to carry an inscription indicating the purpose and nature of the literature.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a literature rack, according to one form of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an inclined plan view looking in the direction of 2--2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURES 3 and 4 are cross-sections taken along the lines 33 and 44 respectively in FIGURE 2 at right angles to one another and upon enlarged scales, with the central portions omitted to conserve space; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view upon an enlarged scale of one of the literature holders employed with the literature rack of FIGURES l to 4 inclusive.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-section view taken along the line 66 of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, FIGURES 1 and 2 show an improved literature rack, generally designated 10, as consisting generally of a base 12 from Which rises a tubular standard 14 preferably of aluminum, and carrying an open box-shaped literature container 16. The base 12 is a circular dished stamping or molding, preferably of sheet steel, and with a central dished portion 18 surrounded by an annular flange 20. The base 12 is drilled centrally to receive a screw 22 which is threaded into a centrally-drilled and tapped cylindrical plug 24. The plug 24 is secured within the lower end portion of the tubular standard 14 in any suitable manner, as by a suitable adhesive such as epoxy resin or other similar tenacious adhesives available on the open market. Similarly secured in the upper end of the tubular standard 14 is a solid plug 26 having an upstanding threaded central extension 28.

Mounted on the upper end of the tubular standard 14 and centrally drilled and threaded to receive the threaded central extension 28 is an angle bracket, generally designated 30, reinforced by an upper plate 32 riveted or otherwise secured to it and similarly drilled and threaded to provide additional strength and length of thread. The angle bracket 36 is in the form of an elongated angle bar extending substantially from side to side of the literature container 16 so as to provide ample support therefor. For this purpose, the angle bracket 31} is provided along its opposite edges with oppositely-extending inclined 3,3l3,5l3 Patented Apr. 11, 1967 flanges 34 which are secured, preferably by fasteners, to the rearward or under surface of an inclined peg board back panel 36. The back panel 36 is preferably formed of so-called hardboard with multiple perforations 38 therethrough over substantially the entire area thereof except at the marginal portions 40.

The literature container 16 in addition to the back panel 36 includes a border frame structure, generally designated 42, preferably formed, by notching and bending operations, from a single length of extruded bar material having the cross-sectional configuration shown at the lower end of FIGURE 4. This configuration includes a front flange 44-, side wall 46 and a rear flange 48. The latter terminates in an offset flange 50 of angle cross-section providing an inwardly-facing groove or recess 52 which snugly and securely receives and holds the edge portion 44) of the back panel 36. This channel construction thus formed for the border structure 42 provides a rim portion of great structural strength.

The single length of extruded bar of which the border structure 42 is composed is notched out at locations where the corners 54- are to be with 90-degree notches such that when the adjacent side portions, 56, 58, 60, 62 and 64 are bent at right angles to one another, the edges of the rightangled notches come together and abut one another in diagonal junctions 66, leaving the corner edges 54 slightly rounded. This slightly rounded corner edge construction is more attractive than the sharp corner edges obtained when four separate border pieces are welded together and also prevents cuts or scratches to persons using or examining the literature rack 10. The opposite ends 68 and 70 of the border structure 42 are brought into abutting relationship after the edge portions 48 of the back panel 36 have been seated in their respective grooves 52 and after the upper side halves 56 and 64 have been bent downward into perpendicular relationship with their adjacent sides 58 and 62 respectively.

The upper half sides 56 and 64 are secured to one an other adjacent their junctions 68, 76 by an inner plate 72 and the lower flange portion or mounting portion 74 of a title plate or sign panel structure 76 riveted to one another through the Web portions 46 of the upper half sides 56 and 64. The title plate or sign panel structure '76 has an upstanding title or sign portion 73 disposed at an obtuse angle to the portion 74 thereof so that when the literature display structure 16 is mounted at a suitable angle of inclination, such as, for example, 45 degrees to the axis of the standard 14, the title or sign portion 78 will be vertical (FIGURE 1). The title or sign portion 73, as its name indicates, is adapted to bear a suitable inscription indicating the nature of the literature displayed and intended to be dispensed to passersby. For example, in actual use, the particular literature rack 11 has been found very useful in displaying and dispensing the recruiting pamphlets of one of the armed services the name of which is inscribed upon the front of the title portion 78.

The back panel 36, by means of its multiple holes 38, is adapted to receive and sustain multiple literature holders 8% (FIGURE 5 Each literature holder 80 is in the form of a wire framework consisting of a C- shaped upper member 82, the opposite ends of which are secured to the sides of approximately J-shaped end members 84 which in turn are preferably tied to one another and to adjoining literature holders 80 by a tie rod 86 extending thereacross and welded to each of the I-shaped end members 84.

Each of the J-shaped end members 84 includes a back portion 88 having an offset upper end portion 90 for insertion in one of the back board holes 38 with the offset portion 92 approximately equal to the thickness of the back board 36 (FIGURE 4). Each of the end members 84 also includes a bottom portion 94 perpendicular to the back portion 88 and a front portion 96 perpendicular to the bottom portion 94 and hence substantially parallel to the back portion 88. The upper end of the front portion 96 is welded or otherwise secured to the front portion 98 of the upper member 82. The side portions 100 of each literature holder 80 are of approximately the same length as the bottom portions 94 and terminate in inwardly-bent rear portions 102, the inner ends of which are welded or otherwise secured to the rear portions 88 of the end members 84.

In the use of the literature display rack 10, the various components 12, 14 and 16 are assembled and secured to one another in a manner which is believed self-evident from the foregoing description of their construction. The literature holders 80 are mounted on the back panel 36 by inserting their offset upper end portions 90 and 92 through the holes 38 in the back panel 36 until the portions 90 lie alongside the back surface of the panel 36 and the tie rod 86 lies against the front surface thereof. If the tie rod 86 is caused to extend throughout the entire width of an assembly 104, of several literature holders 80, then the location of individual literature holders 80 is fixed by the location of the assembly 104 (FIGURE 2). If, on the other hand, each literature holder 80 or a pair thereof is tied together by a tie rod 86, a greater freedom of arrangement is thereby provided. While the drawing for purposes of simplicity of showing illustrates only one side of a literature holder 80, it will be evident that vari ous sizes may be provided to accommodate correspondingly different sizes of pamphlets or other literature to be dispensed. Such pamphlets or other literature in packs are inserted through the central opening of the upper member 82 of each literature holder 80 and come to rest against the bottom portions 94 of the end members 84.

What I claim is:

1. A literature display and dispensing rack comprising a base,

a standard secured to and extending upward from said base,

means for securing said standard to said base,

a literature container disposed at the upper end of said standard and including literature holders attached thereto,

means for connecting said literature container to said standard said literature container being inclined relatively to said standard and having an upwardly and forwardly-inclined top portion,

and a sign panel structure having a mounting portion secured to said inclined top portion and having a sign portion extending upwardly from said mounting portion at an obtuse angle thereto.

2. A literature display and dispensing rack comprising a base,

a standard secured to and extending upward from said base,

means for securing said standard to said base,

a literature container disposed at the upper end of said standard and including literature holders attached thereto,

means for connecting said literature container to said standard said connecting means including an elongated angle member having mutually perpendicular portions, one of said portions being mounted on said standard, said literature container being inclinded relatively to said standard and secured to the opposite edges of said portions.

3. A literature display and dispensing rack, according to claim 2, wherein said opposite edges have inclined flanges extending in opposite directions there-from, and wherein said literature container is secured to said flanges.

4. A literature display and dispensing rack comprising a base,

a standard secured to and extending upward from said base,

means for securing said standard to said base,

a literature container disposed at the upper end of said standard and including literature holders attached thereto,

and means for connecting said literature container to said standard said literature container comprising an open box-shaped structure having a border frame structure and a back panel disposed within said frame.

5. A literature display and dispensing rack, according to claim 4, wherein said border frame structure has side walls and front and rear flanges extending inwardly from said side walls, said rear flanges having inwardly-facing recesses therein, the edge portions of said back panel being seated in said recesses.

6. A literature display and dispensing rack, according to claim 5, wherein said border frame structure comprises a single length of border material notched at the corners thereof with the opposite edges of each notch abutting one another.

7. A literature display and dispensing rack, according to claim 4, wherein said back panel has multiple spaced holes therethrough and wherein each literature holder comprises a wire framework having offset ends disposed in said holes.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 520,430 5/1894 Hoggson 248158 2,276,588 3/1942 Michelson 248158 2,517,829 8/ 1950 Beckovich 2483 11 2,678,182 5/1954 Young 248454 2,777,893 1/1957 De Rosso 248-89 X 2,940,085 6/1960 Hussey 248226.1 X 2,963,164 12/ 1960 Watson 211-1 3,058,706 10/1962 Snell 24827.8 3,079,725 3/ 1963 La Fleur 248441 3,115,252 12/1963 Senical 211-55 3,149,727 9/ 1964 Magers 21 1-148 3,186,560 6/ 1965 Cristino 211177 CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Examiner. 

1. A LITERATURE DISPLAY AND DISPENSING RACK COMPRISING A BASE, A STANDARD SECURED TO AND EXTENDING UPWARD FROM SAID BASE, MEANS FOR SECURING SAID STANDARD TO SAID BASE, A LITERATURE CONTAINER DISPOSED AT THE UPPER END OF SAID STANDARD AND INCLUDING LITERATURE HOLDERS ATTACHED THERETO, MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID LITERATURE CONTAINER TO SAID STANDARD SAID LITERATURE CONTAINER BEING INCLINED RELATIVELY TO SAID STANDARD AND HAVING AN UPWARDLY AND FORWARDLY-INCLINED TOP PORTION, AND A SIGN PANEL STRUCTURE HAVING A MOUNTING PORTION SECURED TO SAID INCLINED TOP PORTION AND HAVING A SIGN PORTION EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID MOUNTING PORTION AT AN OBTUSE ANGLE THERETO. 